London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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City of London 1931

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]

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Action taken in London.-— The vessel arrived off Gravesend at 3.30 a.m. on
4/4/31, and was boarded by Dr. Cadman, who obtained a history of the cases from
the ship's Surgeon and then proceeded to a careful inspection of the crew, but did
not find any fresh cases nor any "missed" cases. Later, Dr. Cadman was joined
by Dr. Warrack, who examined all the passengers. Two Sanitary Inspectors and
a rat-searcher boarded the vessel, disinfected the infected quarters and gave general
assistance. I also attended personally with two clerks, who proceeded immediately
to send off names and addresses of passengers and European crew to the Medical
Officers of Health of the districts of destination.
All names and addresses were carefully checked with the individual passengers
and members of crew, and the vaccinal state of all on board was recorded on the
crew and passenger lists. The native sailors were all sent ashore to Denton Hospital,
where they were bathed and their clothing and effects disinfected by steam. Meanwhile
their quarters were sprayed with Izal and subsequently put under fumigation with S02.
The passengers were allowed to land at 10 a.m., and the native crew returned
to the ship about 11.30 a.m. The vessel docked in the afternoon, and the Marine
Superintendent expressed appreciation of the expedition with which the vessel had
been cleared.
The names and addresses were all posted to Medical Officers of Health of districts
of destination the same afternoon in London, the envelopes being marked " urgent."
Subsequent History of Ship.— Dr. Warrack visited the ship daily in dock and
inspected the crew. On 6th April he discovered two native seamen who had developed
the eruption of Chicken-pox. These were removed to Denton Hospital forthwith,
where I saw them and agreed with the diagnosis.
On 8th. April Dr. Warrack found two native firemen who had developed the
eruption of Chicken-pox on the previous evening. These were also removed to Denton
Hospital. One of them had well-marked scars of an old attack of Small-pox.
These four cases were seen on 8th April by Dr. W. V. Shaw, of the Ministry of
Health, who confirmed the diagnosis of Chicken-pox. The ship sailed for Dundee
at 3 p.m., on 8th April, the Port Medical Officer of Health of Dundee being informed
by letter of the circumstances.
The Shipping Company were advised to put the native crew on a ship lying up
until the epidemic had settled down, as more cases might occur and lead to trouble
abroad.
ss. "Clan MacBrayne."— The above vessel arrived at Gravesend on 7th April,
from Bombay. A native fireman reported sick on 16th February, while the vessel
was at Cochin. He was seen by a doctor at Cochin, who sent the patient to the
Government Isolation Hospital as a case of Small-pox. The whole of the infected
quarters and the native's effects were disinfected at Cochin, and the whole of the
native crew were re-vaccinated at Allepy on 18th February.
On arrival at Gravesend the crew were carefully examined and their vaccinal
condition noted. No further case was discovered.
Y.—MEASURES AGAINST RODENTS.
(1) Steps taken for the detection of rodent Plague:—
The Port Sanitary Authority employs six Assistant Rat Officers.
Each Assistant Rat Officer has his own district, corresponding to the district of a
Sanitary Inspector, under whose guidance he works. An Assistant Rat Officer's first
duty is the examination of such ships in his district as are due for inspection under
Article 28 of the International Sanitary Convention relative to the granting of
Deratisation and Deratisation Exemption Certificates. His second duty is to visit
ships arriving in his district from Plague-infected ports, to search for dead rats and,